How a Pakistani Province Is Fighting Climate Change

Fakhar e Alam

Peshawar: By the time spring arrives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it brings more than blossoms. For 35-year-old Tariq Qadar, it brings opportunity.

Standing beside a truck piled high with saplings at Tarnab,  a major plant nursery hub on the outskirts of Peshawar, Tariq watches laborers unload poplar, eucalyptus and pine trees destined for farms, schools and government offices across the province. 

For him and thousands like him, the spring plantation campaign has turned into a season of hope.

“Orders are pouring in from government departments, NGOs, educational institutions and village development committees,” Tariq said with a smile. “This spring has been exceptional.”

Tariq sources most of his plants from Patoki in Kasur district and has already brought in three truckloads of saplings this season. More are on the way if demand continues to rise.

Alongside traditional forest species such as poplar, shisham and eucalyptus, ornamental plants, including araucaria, bottle palm and gangi palm, are also gaining popularity.

“Our main customers are the Forest Department and educational institutions,” he explained. “The profit margins are better and the volume is large.”

Yet the business comes with risks. Unsold or damaged plants can mean heavy losses for growers and traders alike. Around 10,000 people are directly associated with the plant business in Tarnab alone.

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“We suffer economically if plants die or remain unsold,” Tariq said, urging the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to support plant sellers by providing interest-free loans.

Farmers planting for protection

Among Tariq’s customers is Malyar Khan, a farmer from Mohib Banda in Nowshera district, who traveled to Tarnab to buy poplar saplings for his land.

“These trees will protect my agricultural land from floods,” Malyar said. “They prevent soil erosion, improve the environment and also increase the value of our land.”

For many farmers across the province, tree plantation is no longer just an environmental responsibility — it is an economic investment and a shield against climate-induced disasters.

Forests on the frontline of climate defense

Forests play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. Acting as carbon sinks, they reduce greenhouse gases, stabilize water cycles, prevent soil erosion and provide habitats for wildlife.

Recognizing this, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department has launched an aggressive spring afforestation campaign aimed at expanding forest cover, particularly by converting non-productive land into green assets.

From the plains of Khyber to the mountains of Kohistan, and from Waziristan to Chitral, the Plant for Pakistan campaign is being rolled out across the province. Farmers, students, local communities and forest officials are being mobilized to plant diverse tree species to combat deforestation and desertification.

Thousands of saplings will be planted in schools, colleges, universities and community spaces — embedding environmental responsibility in younger generations.

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“Our spring plantation drive focuses on farm forestry, mass plantation and the rehabilitation of degraded forest areas,” said Ahmad Jalil, Chief Conservator of Forests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Our goal is to restore large tracts of land and strengthen the province’s resilience against climate change.”

A country losing forests

Pakistan — particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan — faces an alarming rate of forest depletion. According to the National Forest Policy, the country loses around 27,000 hectares of forest annually, mostly on private and community lands.

“Pakistan is among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change,” Jalil noted, pointing to the devastating 2022 floods and increasingly erratic rainfall and snowfall patterns. “Deforestation and air pollution are major contributors.”

From a billion trees to ten billion

In response to these challenges, the KP government launched the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) in 2014 under the Green Growth Initiative. The effort was later expanded nationwide under the 10 Billion Trees Afforestation Project (10BTAP).

According to the Forest Department, 711.35 million saplings of various species have been planted in KP under 10BTAP through farm forestry, enclosures and other interventions.

As a result, 26.7 percent of the province’s land area is now under forest cover, surpassing international benchmarks. KP accounts for 37 percent of Pakistan’s total forest cover and plays a vital role in absorbing nearly 50 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.

Beyond environmental gains, the initiative has generated more than 200,000 green jobs, while the province’s carbon credits are estimated to be worth Rs.100 billion annually.

The road ahead

Large-scale irrigation and plantation projects are also underway to boost agricultural productivity. The Chashma Right Bank Canal project aims to bring 300,000 acres of barren land under cultivation, while the Mohmand Dam Canal is expected to irrigate over 200,000 acres.

Experts stress that combating climate change requires collective action. The Plant for Pakistan initiative, they say, represents a long-term and sustainable approach to environmental protection, economic growth and climate resilience.

As spring unfolds across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials have urged citizens to plant as many trees as possible to improve air quality, restore rainfall patterns and safeguard future generations.

Chief Conservator Ahmad Jalil encouraged farmers and citizens to contact Forest Department offices in their respective districts to obtain saplings.

For people like Tariq, Qadar and for a province standing on the frontline of climate change,  the message is clear: every tree planted today is an investment in tomorrow.